You Did What For Me? New Obligations for People who provide Support to Boats Racing

Support People

Aug 23, 2017

By Lynne Beal

People from parents to coaches to boat professionals to weather experts all support competitors in their efforts to race their boats. As of 2017, World Sailing’s Racing Rules of Sailing have brought support persons into the game in new ways, with new obligations for them and the competitors they support. Now, each competitor and boat owner agrees that their support persons, including the parents of child competitors, are bound by the racing rules. That includes the hovering coaches, vigilant from the sidelines of the fleet – you’ve probably seen them at dinghy regattas particularly when kids are involved.

These rule changes make a difference in how support persons are expected to behave at sailing competitions. If they work on a boat on behalf of the competitor, they must work within the class rules, and obey any reasonable request by a race official. If they go afloat, they must stay outside of the racing area, and not interfere with boats that are racing. If they are dissatisfied with how a race is run or scored, or with the outcome of a hearing, they must behave in a civil manner. No bullying, harassment or melt-downs.

If support persons interfere with racing, or commit an act of misconduct that is linked to the sailing competition, they can be held accountable for their actions. They may be called to a hearing with the protest committee, which could result in sanctions to the support persons. They could lose the privilege of entering the venue where racing is being held, or be reported to their national authority for an act of misconduct.

This November, World Sailing will consider further amendments to the Racing Rules of Sailing to make a clear path for a boat to be penalized through a hearing if a support person is in breach of a rule, is un-sportsman-like, or commits an act of misconduct. The competitor could be warned. Or, if the competitor has gained an advantage through the support person’s actions, their boat could be penalized in the race or series.

Support persons are vital benefactors of our sport. Don’t be the parent who gets expelled from the venue for behavior you would never accept from your children.

 

Lynne Beal: Lynne Beal is a Canadian International Judge and Chairman of the Sail Canada Appeals Committee. She has judged at events from club racing to the Olympic Games, at home and on six continents. She brings the Racing Rules of Sailing alive from her diverse experiences.

 

Related Articles

Catch CY Contributors on Stage at Vancouver and Seattle

Catch CY Contributors on Stage at Vancouver and Seattle

Several Canadian Yachting contributors are featured on seminar stages at the 2014 Vancouver and Seattle Boat Shows: William Kelly, co-author of Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage, Mark Bunzel, publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, Amanda Spottiswoode, author of South Islander – Memoirs of a Cruising Dog, recounts “Tales, Triumphs and Tribulations of Cruising the West Coast with Dogs on Board”

Sally Helme Honoured with Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award

Sally Helme Honoured with Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award

Sally Helme, of Newport, RI and publisher of Bonnier Corp.’s Cruising World and Sailing World magazines, has been honoured with the 2015 Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. Presented by National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the honour recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating, and enriching the lives of women through sailing.

 

Canadians on the Move

Canadians on the Move

Pamela and Oliver Sinclair, known throughout Elizabeth Harbour, Exumas as “Pam and Ollie on DeJarlo”, both hail from Oshawa ON. Although Pam insists she is not a sailor, they have sailed from Indiantown, Florida, where they summer their boat, down to George Town for the past 15 years.

Video Gallery

New Boats: Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 – A Sleek, Good -Looking Delight To Sail

By Katherine Stone

There is nothing more that I enjoy than being with friends and messing about in boats. Messing about in brand-new boats on a champagne sailing day on Lake Ontario at the beginning of the summer doesn’t get any better. To have the new owner, Helmuth Strobel and Anchor Yachts dealer Pancho Jimenez aboard made it even more special, as they can also speak to what they truly enjoy about the boat. We keep our own boat in a harbour that has a long waiting list for boats over 35 feet, so this little gem would definitely fit the bill and feels like a much bigger boat. True to the spirit of the 7th generation Oceanis line, the 34.1 is built in Poland and replaces the 35.1. It is 1,000 lbs lighter, 14 cm narrower and has 29% more sail area.

Read More

Destinations

Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands has Reopened

Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands has opened its rebuilt and re-envisioned luxury private island in 2024 after the property closures from the Virgin Islands’ 2017 hurricane season. Peter Island Resort has been undergoing its transformation for over six years. Its evolution includes brand new and upgraded accommodations and new state-of-the-art facilities and five stellar beaches amid hundreds of acres of unspoiled tropical island.

Peter Island Yacht Club

The new Yacht Club will be a must on the itineraries of sailors, boaters and yachtsmen with a marina that can accommodate a range of vessels from power boats, sailboats and catamarans, to super yachts of up to 200 feet. Located in Sprat Bay harbor, the Yacht Club will be its own destination with a dedicated swimming pool for Yacht Club guests, Drunken Pelican restaurant and bar, a commissary, Sea Chest Boutique and a sports recreation area with pickleball, basketball and bocce ball courts and a lawn-games area. To protect the coral reef and marine life surrounding the island, moorings will be located in White Bay, Sprat Bay, Deadman’s Bay…

Read More

Lifestyle